The president of the Canadian Soccer Association hopes the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Canada can help restore the game’s “moral compass” in wake of an alleged $10-million FIFA corruption scandal.
"It's a positive thing that the first tournament after this, whatever happened in the last week, is the Women's World Cup, because women's football is a very pure form of football," Victor Montagliani said Thursday during a tournament-opening press conference at a Vancouver hotel. “And, I think women's football can shine some light on the dark clouds that are hanging over the game."
Montagliani, CSA secretary-general Peter Montopoli and FIFA officials were grilled by reporters in wake of the corruption scandal that resulted in president Sepp Blatter resigning this week after he gained re-election and senior FIFA officials being arrested and indicted in the U.S. and Switzerland last week. Former FIFA official Chuck Blazer has said that he and other officials accepted bribes in relation to the 2010 and 1998 men’s World Cup tournaments.
Repeated requests from a FIFA spokeswoman Thursday to focus on the upcoming tourney fell on deaf ears as the FIFA scandal dominated.
"Whether you call it irony or destiny – I don't know how you want to call it – but I think we should all (be thankful) that it's the Women's World Cup that is immediately following here,” said Montagliani, “because I think it's an opportunity for women's football to shine some light onto the game that, perhaps, has lost a little bit of its moral compass."
At one point, Montagliani insisted the CSA had “absolutely not” bribed officials to earn the right to host the 24-team event in six countries. He said Canada was the only country that bid on the event.
Montagliani also came under questioning for his relationship with provisionally dismissed CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb, who was indicted last week on bribery charges. Before the allegations came to light, said Montagliani, it would be difficult not to respect Webb, who has led anti-racism, fair play and new CONCACAF governance initiatives.
“Now, having said that, if the allegations that came out last week are true, then obviously that will change a lot of people’s opinion,” said Montagliani. “I hope (Webb’s alleged corruption) is not (true), because, obviously, we know there’s no room in the game for those kinds of things.”
Montagliani said he is praying for Webb, once regarded as “the hero of football” and his family. The CSA president previously described both Webb and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, who is now accused of negotiating bribes, as an inspiration.
Montagliani contended that he only knew Webb and Valcke through CONCACAF’s executive committee and the CSA’s distance from the alleged scandal is “quite a bit” because it does not get involved in “stuff” like FIFA television rights, and has “due diligence” in place.
He took exception to a Reuters reporter again asking him about Webb, especially after the disgraced CONCACAF boss, had been praised by media in the past.
"With all due respect, you and your colleagues were saying the exact same thing," said Montagliani. "You need to, maybe, look in the mirror a little bit and, maybe, not put people on a pedestal so you can whack the hell out of them after.”
Despite the scandal-related questions, some positive points did emerge from the news conference, putting a positive light on the women’s game itself.
“This is the largest single sporting event for women in the world,” said Montagliani. “We’re very proud and very humbled to be putting on the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.”
“It’s the first time in our country we are hosting a major international competition from one coast to the other,” added CSA general secretary Peter Montopoli.
He said Saturday’s opening match between Canada and China in Edmonton is trending to be the largest attended senior A soccer match in Canadian history, with more than 52,000 fans slated to attend.
“We’re also looking at this as the largest attended national team match of any sport in our country,” said Montopoli. “So obviously, the opening day, the opening match, is a big day for Canadian soccer, but also Canadian sport.”
He said tickets for the July 5 championship match in Vancouver sold out within 72 hours of tickets going on sale. Meanwhile, all U.S. matches are expected to be a sellout, and 95 per cent of tickets have been sold within North America. Montagliani said ticket sales will surpass 1 million any day now.
However, FIFA officials could not say how much money has been allocated for wining, dining and accommodating FIFA executives, or whether the value of their perks will be higher than proceeds that go to players.
But Tatjana Haenni, head of women’s soccer for FIFA, said a total of $15 million in prize money will be up for grabs. A former player, she hopes this World Cup will lead to more women receiving key decision-making roles.
Montagliani would also like to see the tournament further the push to put a couple of National Women’s Soccer League teams in Canada. The NWSL serves as a development circuit for the Canada, U.S. and Mexican national teams.
Alas, no matter how the FIFA scandal turns out, there is more work to be done before the women’s game will rise to new levels. But, perhaps, for at least a little while, Canada’s 2015 Women’s World Cup can shine some light through those dark clouds.
Showing posts with label Canada Soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada Soccer. Show all posts
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Friday, June 6, 2014
Herdman predicts Canada-U.S. Women's World Cup final in 2015
Usually, news conferences that include politicians, officials from a sport’s governing body and other dignitaries can get downright stuffy – quickly.
But, in a matter of a few minutes, Canadian women’s soccer coach John Herdman managed to make one unexpectedly special Friday. Never mind that this presser, at Terry Fox Plaza outside B.C. Place Stadium, was intended to promote the one-year countdown to the 2015 Women’s World Cup that Canada will host.
Herdman’s team will not be finalized for months, but he boldly promised that Canada will face its arch rival the U.S. in the final at B.C. Place.
“I’m predicting it,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, I lose my job – but that’s life.”
That point alone was enough to make the presser interesting, but Herdman, an Englishman who guided Canada to a 2012 Olympic bronze medal after taking over the club’s reins in 2011, did not stop there.
“In one year’s time, this team will be ready,” he said. “Ready to do what? (Players) will be ready to make Canada proud, and that’s what we live for. We’ll be ready to make history. Ready to win the first World Cup from Canada. We’ll be ready to inspire new generations of female soccer players, just like we did in 2012. You imagine that opportunity. That gets us out of bed every single morning. Nothing else. I wake up at 5 a.m. every morning, because we’ve got that chance – and it’ll be one chance, because this isn’t going to come back in Canada for a while.
“And, everyone that’s involved in our sport knows that, or ought to. This is the time to do something special for women’s soccer, and you won’t get that chance again.”
Herdman vowed that the Canadian women’s team will be ready to connect the country again, just like it did in 2012, when a referee’s controversial decision ended its gold-medal hopes. As you might recall, Canada suffered a heartbreaking semifinal loss to the Americans after lobbying from U.S. star Abby Wambach, prompted the referee to award the U.S. a free kick because Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod was found guilty of holding the ball too long. The free kick led a Canadian hand-ball infraction in Canada’s penalty area, and a decisive American penalty-kick.
Herdman is ready for more moments – special or otherwise – that help the club bond with each other and other Canadians.
“Whether it’s referee decisions, whatever, we’ll laugh together, we’ll chew our fingernails together, and we’ll cry together,” he said. “And, hopefully, this time, they’ll be tears of joy.”
Standing and listening to Herdman as he spoke passionately during his speech and scrums later with reporters, one could not help but admire his chutzpah while contemplating many other thoughts. For instance, the Canadian squad was lucky that he chose not to put himself in contention for his native England’s women’s coaching job when it became available last year – much to the relief of Canadian captain Christine Sinclair.
Also, the hype that the presser created was more than a little interesting when you consider that it was a women’s sporting event being promoted. Pick another women’s team in any other sport but hockey, during or outside an Olympic year, that generates as much buzz as Canada’s women’s soccer squad. Herdman, with his enthusiasm and never-say-die attitude, has been largely responsible for the hoopla that has been building since Canada hired him after a disappointing early exit from the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
Last but not least, one could not help but be confounded by the hopes and dreams that the Canadian women’s team continues to inspire while the men’s squad, which has not qualified for the World Cup since 1986 and will be watching the upcoming Brazil World Cup with considerable envy, is languishing in the middle of nowhere. Canadian men’s coach Benito Floro, supposedly a Spanish legend has generated little, if any, buzz since he was hired in August 2013
The low-scoring men’s club has an extremely low profile in Canada, often training and playing friendlies against (ahem) juggernauts like Bulgaria and Moldava overseas. Identical 1-1 draws against those two nations this year are considered big rays hope for an eventual return to respectability. Now, contrast that outlook with Herdman’s expectations.
Floro has pledged to involve Canada’s three MLS teams, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, which are developing young domestic talent every day, in the national men’s development program. But, again, few, if any, strides appear to be occurring.
Given the many months that it took to hire Floro after Canada’s humiliating 8-1 loss to Honduras in World Cup qualifying, it appears that the men’s program, known for turf wars between soccer’s provincial and national governing bodies, is still in disarray. On the other hand, it seems like the sport’s poohbahs have left the women’s program alone – and it has flourished.
Of course, this is a grand simplification. Canada Soccer puts considerable resources into the women’s program, which has few professional players at its disposal due to limited funding for those assigned to fledgling National Women’s Soccer League teams. (The Canadian, U.S. and Mexican federations pay the salaries of players that they assign to NWSL teams.)
However, when it comes to soccer in Canada and its troubled history on the men’s side, perception is everything. As was clear Friday, John Herdman is creating a positive and highly meaningful image for the women’s program that will remain for decades to come. The men’s team? Not so much.
Sooner or later, the prediction is here, the search will be on for another national men’s coach, and Canada Soccer officials can only hope that they find another one like John Herdman.
In other words, it will be a long time before any Canadian men’s coach dares to predict that his team will win a World Cup.
But, in a matter of a few minutes, Canadian women’s soccer coach John Herdman managed to make one unexpectedly special Friday. Never mind that this presser, at Terry Fox Plaza outside B.C. Place Stadium, was intended to promote the one-year countdown to the 2015 Women’s World Cup that Canada will host.
Herdman’s team will not be finalized for months, but he boldly promised that Canada will face its arch rival the U.S. in the final at B.C. Place.
“I’m predicting it,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, I lose my job – but that’s life.”
That point alone was enough to make the presser interesting, but Herdman, an Englishman who guided Canada to a 2012 Olympic bronze medal after taking over the club’s reins in 2011, did not stop there.
“In one year’s time, this team will be ready,” he said. “Ready to do what? (Players) will be ready to make Canada proud, and that’s what we live for. We’ll be ready to make history. Ready to win the first World Cup from Canada. We’ll be ready to inspire new generations of female soccer players, just like we did in 2012. You imagine that opportunity. That gets us out of bed every single morning. Nothing else. I wake up at 5 a.m. every morning, because we’ve got that chance – and it’ll be one chance, because this isn’t going to come back in Canada for a while.
“And, everyone that’s involved in our sport knows that, or ought to. This is the time to do something special for women’s soccer, and you won’t get that chance again.”
Herdman vowed that the Canadian women’s team will be ready to connect the country again, just like it did in 2012, when a referee’s controversial decision ended its gold-medal hopes. As you might recall, Canada suffered a heartbreaking semifinal loss to the Americans after lobbying from U.S. star Abby Wambach, prompted the referee to award the U.S. a free kick because Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod was found guilty of holding the ball too long. The free kick led a Canadian hand-ball infraction in Canada’s penalty area, and a decisive American penalty-kick.
Herdman is ready for more moments – special or otherwise – that help the club bond with each other and other Canadians.
“Whether it’s referee decisions, whatever, we’ll laugh together, we’ll chew our fingernails together, and we’ll cry together,” he said. “And, hopefully, this time, they’ll be tears of joy.”
Standing and listening to Herdman as he spoke passionately during his speech and scrums later with reporters, one could not help but admire his chutzpah while contemplating many other thoughts. For instance, the Canadian squad was lucky that he chose not to put himself in contention for his native England’s women’s coaching job when it became available last year – much to the relief of Canadian captain Christine Sinclair.
Also, the hype that the presser created was more than a little interesting when you consider that it was a women’s sporting event being promoted. Pick another women’s team in any other sport but hockey, during or outside an Olympic year, that generates as much buzz as Canada’s women’s soccer squad. Herdman, with his enthusiasm and never-say-die attitude, has been largely responsible for the hoopla that has been building since Canada hired him after a disappointing early exit from the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
Last but not least, one could not help but be confounded by the hopes and dreams that the Canadian women’s team continues to inspire while the men’s squad, which has not qualified for the World Cup since 1986 and will be watching the upcoming Brazil World Cup with considerable envy, is languishing in the middle of nowhere. Canadian men’s coach Benito Floro, supposedly a Spanish legend has generated little, if any, buzz since he was hired in August 2013
The low-scoring men’s club has an extremely low profile in Canada, often training and playing friendlies against (ahem) juggernauts like Bulgaria and Moldava overseas. Identical 1-1 draws against those two nations this year are considered big rays hope for an eventual return to respectability. Now, contrast that outlook with Herdman’s expectations.
Floro has pledged to involve Canada’s three MLS teams, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, which are developing young domestic talent every day, in the national men’s development program. But, again, few, if any, strides appear to be occurring.
Given the many months that it took to hire Floro after Canada’s humiliating 8-1 loss to Honduras in World Cup qualifying, it appears that the men’s program, known for turf wars between soccer’s provincial and national governing bodies, is still in disarray. On the other hand, it seems like the sport’s poohbahs have left the women’s program alone – and it has flourished.
Of course, this is a grand simplification. Canada Soccer puts considerable resources into the women’s program, which has few professional players at its disposal due to limited funding for those assigned to fledgling National Women’s Soccer League teams. (The Canadian, U.S. and Mexican federations pay the salaries of players that they assign to NWSL teams.)
However, when it comes to soccer in Canada and its troubled history on the men’s side, perception is everything. As was clear Friday, John Herdman is creating a positive and highly meaningful image for the women’s program that will remain for decades to come. The men’s team? Not so much.
Sooner or later, the prediction is here, the search will be on for another national men’s coach, and Canada Soccer officials can only hope that they find another one like John Herdman.
In other words, it will be a long time before any Canadian men’s coach dares to predict that his team will win a World Cup.
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